Date: 2017-04-04

Following the controversy that had trailed discrepancies in the payment of beneficiaries of the N-Power scheme, the Special Adviser to the Federal Government on Social Investment (SIP), Hajia Maryam Uwais will storm Ilorin, the Kwara State capital "any time from now", National Pilot can authoritatively report.

According to a source who confided in this medium last night, the visit of the president aide is coming on the heels of the allegation of selective payment levelled against some officials and aides of the state government.

Most of the aides were grilled by committees of the Kwara State House of Assembly last Thursday after being summoned to shed more light on the issue.

Speaking on the outcome of the summon, a source who was part of the meeting told this medium last night that Hajia Uwais will arrive in the state to sensitise stakeholders more on the scheme.

"All the aides of the Governor and officials that were summoned came and they brought all relevant documents.

"We didn't found them wanting but discovered that the problem has to do with some of the participants. Most of the complaints resulted from the fact that some of the beneficiaries don't have personal bank accounts. "But government has been resolving the issue through additional and extended provision of registration facilities.

"Also, the lawmakers in the state will have to provide registration facilities in their constituencies to further ease the problem and all of them including the Speaker, Hon Ali Ahmad have volunteered to do that to register as many beneficiaries as possible.

"We are targeting 10,000 registration as soon as the portal starts working. The matter will be discussed at the House plenary now before a public hearing will be convened on it.

"Major stakeholders from all relevant sectors in the state will be invited and addressed by the President's aide to explain the scheme and its operation better. She has been contacted and being a friend of the state, she has agreed to come at a later date."

Recall that volunteers of the scheme had accused state coordinators of selective payment, saying only 40 per cent had been consistently paid since the commencement of the programme while the remaining 60 per cent had received nothing so far.

The House thereafter summoned the affected stakeholders following a motion on "Re Assessing the Status of N-Power in Kwara State" raised by a member representing Ilorin North West Constituency Hon. Abdul Rafiu Abdul Rahman.

The Deputy Speaker, Hon Matthew Okedare who presided over the plenary, said the invitation would enable the House to have first-hand information on the status and progress of the scheme and advice appropriately.